Training Tips

[Ken Lewis]

Arrive SJPDP to start a 5 week pilgrimage on about May 2nd.
I keep quite fit for an old fella running about 5 days a week. But I’ve never hiked before, so any tips on converting my training to suit would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!!

 

[Karl Oz]

Nothing beats taking long walks wearing the clothes, shoes and pack you will be using in earnest when you get there. Ask at some good outdoors stores about what gear may suit you, and consider advice from the forum. Then start with short distances and work your way up. No need to go crazy. And listen to your body when it tells you something hurts or feels wrong. Have fun.

 

[Kitsambler]

any tips

Hills! Climb them, climb them with a pack, climb them often and all day. If a flatlander, find a school sports stadium where you can climb bleachers instead.

Core strength! Especially when the weather interferes with getting out. Lots of YouTube videos on a wide variety of core-strengthening exercises. Build your own rotation, 10 different moves for 1 minute each. Daily.

Mind-set! If you haven't begun a practice of meditation or journaling or prayer or some other spiritual discipline, now is a great time. Preparing the mind, just like preparing the body, does not happen immediately; it takes practice. Also develop your persistence and perseverance by pushing yourself just a bit with every workout.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

If you don't already have hiking shoes/boots that fit know that you will want them more spacious than your everyday wear to account for the walk swelling your feet. Maybe try on a pair in the store to see what the fit is like before a run and then go back and try them again after a long run. On the long walks for training with your pack wear the hiking shoes to break them in. Early on with pack training you could weigh down the pack with bottles of water. If you find that the pack is too heavy at first you can lighten the load by emptying the bottles.

 

[trecile]

I agree with the above suggestions. And after you decide on shoes and socks make sure that you walk at least ten miles for three consecutive days or more. It's the day after day walking that takes a toll on you and your feet.

 

[Sailor]

. . . old fella running about 5 days a week . . .

Welcome aboard, your first post! Just find a good 10 kilometer course starting and ending at your front door and practice on it. Practice uphill. Practice downhill. Slow and steady until you finish the workout. It is easy to shift from long distance running to long distance walking, but one thing to remember is that the camino is not a race. I know, I was a qualified long distance runner in my previous life [still run, but just for fun]. Que la luz de Dios alumbre su camino.

 

[domigee]

Arrive SJPDP to start a 5 week pilgrimage on about May 2nd.
I keep quite fit for an old fella running about 5 days a week. But I’ve never hiked before, so any tips on converting my training to suit would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!!

Hi Ken and welcome! This was originally posted by @dougfitz and you may find it helpful.
http://aussiewalk.com.au/cwf/training/

Happy training

 

[Mark T17]

Whatever shoes you are going to wear - start wearing them in now for a May pilgrimage. No need for fancy hiking boots, but its probably a matter of personal choice. I saw so many brand new hiking boots being thrown away in the albergues and pilgrims finishing their walk in crocs, flip flops and runners.

 

[Ken Lewis]

Sincere thanks to you all. I was planning to start training in January but by the sound of it I should start now.
I’ve invested in a pair of Merrill hiking boots so we’ll see how long it takes for my feet to adjust. If they give me too much grief I’ll go for my Brooks runners. I’ve ran ultra’s in these or similar and never a hint of a blister so a good fall back. I only bought the boots to handle bad weather and muddy goat tracks!
Thanks again.

 

[VNwalking]

Welcome, Ken!
Plenty of people can't (or just don't) train, and take the first week to ease into the walking life. But a bit of training makes that transition a whole lot more comfortable.
So you'll be fine - and are already ahead of the game.
Maybe take one of those runs and do a long hilly walk with weight on your back instead. It feels a whole lot different than running, and you'll find potential trouble-spots that way.
And yeah, your trainers should be fine, even on the Camino. Boots are overkill for most people - check out the many opinions here on the forum; there are lots of threads (and even more viewpoints) about boots versus trainers.

 

[trecile]

Sincere thanks to you all. I was planning to start training in January but by the sound of it I should start now.
I’ve invested in a pair of Merrill hiking boots so we’ll see how long it takes for my feet to adjust. If they give me too much grief I’ll go for my Brooks runners. I’ve ran ultra’s in these or similar and never a hint of a blister so a good fall back. I only bought the boots to handle bad weather and muddy goat tracks!
Thanks again.

You might want to try some Brooks trail runners.

 

[Ian L]

I definitely agree with whats already been said. Walk hills with your pack and the shoes you are bringing. I would recommend walking on dirt trails or roads if you can. The majority of the Camino is dirt and its a little easier on the joints and feet than blacktop or cement.

 

[Dorpie]

Maybe I'm just weird but I actually like arriving on the Camino slightly under-prepared in terms of fitness. The feeling of getting steadily fitter and stronger as the days go by brings me great pleasure. For context I do walk and exercise a fair amount in my daily life, but I'm also massively overweight and hitting my mid-forties. If you're running five days a week I suspect fitness won't be much of an issue for you, though I recognise that different forms of exercise can present different challenges.

So rather I suggest spending a bit of time assessing your endurance to help you establish what a reasonable length day is for you and getting used to your equipment and having a pack on your back. Also perhaps consider whether you want to walk with poles, for my long suffering knees they were fantastic.

 

[Happy Wanders QLD]

Another training option to consider is boot camp or personal training.
Training in a group environment, plus the added bonus of a PT pushing/encouraging you.
Any form of training will be a bonus and make the journey more enjoyable.

 

[Ken Lewis]

Thanks again to everyone.
I’ll be arriving in Madrid from SYD, no doubt tired! early afternoon and heading for Pamplona. I understand from threads that the public transport is good and that a shared taxi from there to SJP is a good option. Have any of you done this? I presume I’ll need a night in Pamplona. Cheers & thanks again.

 

[Jim McMurtrie]

Ken, I will be doing the Frances in April and am training. The best advice that was posted above is to start walking with your backpack. Even an empty one will make you realize that you have some work to do.
Buen Camino

 

[Juspassinthru]

Ken, I don’t know where you’re from but like you, I was an older fit guy. In addition to the suggestions above which are all good, the thing I could not train for here in north Texas were steady hill climbing. SJPP to Roncesvalles or Pamplona to Puent la Reina come to mind. Not insurmountable but on my next Camino, I’ll add that type of specific training. In addition, my friends and I found out “training” to be quite enjoyable and many people asked us what we were doing and were very curious about our Camino. Enjoy every step and Buen Camino.

 

[Nanc]

I️ agree about trail runners
went from being a fanatic about boots to using Brooks trail runners with orthotics with great success on CF
You might not want to change the foot wear that works as long as it gives enough support for these distances with a pack that’s likely bigger than what you carry for an ultra
As people have said it’s the unlenting smaller amounts of day after day that wears differently than bursts of marathons
I️ suspect you’ll be fine!

For me, it took a couple of tries, because several of the Brooks’s runner did not have adequate tread depth for slopes and gravel
If your Brooks are used cross country, no problem

 

[Caminante Kylie]

Nothing beats taking long walks wearing the clothes, shoes and pack you will be using in earnest when you get there. Ask at some good outdoors stores about what gear may suit you, and consider advice from the forum. Then start with short distances and work your way up. No need to go crazy. And listen to your body when it tells you something hurts or feels wrong. Have fun.

Hi! Just wondering if I should be using my shoes for the Camino already while training, especially hiking some mountains. I have 4 months to go and I'm just afraid the shoes might give in during the Camino itself. Thanks!

 

[Kanga]

I train using the shoes (or in my case sandals) that I will be using on Camino. I buy a new pair a few months before I expect to leave.

I suppose it depends on the expected longevity of your shoes. My original Scarpa hiking boots would probably last forever but were so uncomfortable they got thrown out, I've had Asics runners that were good for 1000 kilometres but the upper mesh started to get holes, my Ecco sandals show no obvious signs of wear on the soles after 3000 kilometres but the inner begins to compress after about 1000, my Brooks only lasted a few hundred kilometres before the external sole went quite flat and they became slippery.

 

[trecile]

Hi! Just wondering if I should be using my shoes for the Camino already while training, especially hiking some mountains. I have 4 months to go and I'm just afraid the shoes might give in during the Camino itself. Thanks!

I wear trail runners, which are probably good for about 1000 km so so. Fortunately, they don't really require a break in period. So I train in one pair, then wear an identical pair on the Camino, that I've worn a few times to make sure that there's no anomalies in them that could make them uncomfortable.